Shoe rear quarter and adjacent parts



1961 J. B. REINHART ETAL 2,994,136

SHOE REAR QUARTER AND ADJACENT PARTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1959 5 f n E f .aunfl mwn m 1% M m v\ w w a W F I 4 w N N 5 5 m I n M m/ i 30 V n 7 W J 0 m $4 1951 J. B. REINHART ET AL 2,994,136

SHOE REAR QUARTER AND ADJACENT PARTS Filed Nov. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/wi/vmes Jab/7 5. lfi/flAd/f Dav/'0 15. Ward fercy W Fuse/7 wgg United States Patent 9 2,994,136 SHOE REAR QUAR'IgRS AND ADJACENT PA T John B. Reinhart, Farmington, David E. Ward, Webster Groves, and Percy W. Fuson, Farmington, Mo., assignors to Trimfoot Company, Farmington, M0., a corporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 855,354 Claims. (Cl. 36-45) The invention relates to shoes and particularly to the construction of the rear quarter, counter and adjacent upper and sole parts.

The invention is particularly adapted for, and comprises an improvement upon, the shoe shown in Reinhart et al. Patent 2,261,453 and, in one form, incorporates all the objects and advantages of the shoe described in that patent. The present invention is not limited to the shoe of that patent.

Features of the present shoe comprise a counter without inturned marginal portions for individual attachment to the sole but held in place by the upper construction; a shaping of shoe rear portion to conform to the users heel and foot without necessity of an upright seam along connecting opposite halves of the shoe; and a reinforcement for the upper above and forwardly of the counter to maintain the shape of the upper and to afford support to the users ankle. These and other detail objects are attained by the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of an assembled rear quarter, reinforcement, counter and eyelet facings, forming a shoe rear unit which incorporates salient features of the invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the counter element.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a step in the manufacture of the shoe whereby the upper and reinforcement are crimped.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal upright section through a completed shoe to which the unit shown in FIGURE 1 has been applied.

FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 1 but illustrates the rear portion of a high quarter shoe in which the counter receiving pocket is provided independently of other reinforcement.

FIGURE 7 is a view of the outside of a two-piece quarter with a counter pocket and rear reinforcement unit.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section through the rear portion of a low quarter oxford type shoe provided with the counter pocket.

In the form of childs shoe shown in FIGURES 1-5, the shoe rear unit comprises a quarter or upper having a lower portion 11 and an upper portion 12, a reinforcement of non-elastic pliable material comprising a lower portion 13, a top band portion 14 and a relatively narrow upright interconnecting web portion 15. Initially, the upper and the reinforcement are stitched together along the line indicated at 17, the remainder of the upper and reinforcement below stitching 17 are free of attachment to each other. The upper and reinforcement are then moistened or mulled and placed between two heated molds A and -B which have mating surfaces, the upright center plane of which is in the form of an ogee curve corresponding to the outward bulge of a persons heel and the concavity of the lower portion of the leg just above the heel. Pressing the layers of material forming the upper and the reinforcement between the molds stretches the lower portion 11 of the upper and the top portions 14, of the reinforcement which lie along the concaved portions of molds A and B respectively. At the same time the top portion 12 of the upper and the lower portion 13 of the 2,994,136 Patented Aug. 1, 1961 reinforcement which lie along the convex portions of the mold contours are shrunk.

The upper and reinforcement as then shaped are stitched along the line 18 and, preferably, the side facings 20 are applied to the upper and stitched thereto along the lines 22.

When the upper and reinforcement are stitched together along line 18, they form a downwardly opening pocket or allowance 23 into which the counter 24, formed of relatively stiff material, is inserted. The unit shown in FIGURE 1 is then applied to a last, as shown in FIGURE 5, to the bottom of which an insole 26 has been tacked. Tabs 27 and 28 projecting down from the reinforcement are turned over and cemented to the bottom of the insole. This determines the height of the counter-receiving pocket. The lower edge of the upper is then wiped over the bottom of the last and the outsole 30 and welt 31 applied.

The described structure provides a desired contour for a rear part which will maintain its shape without wrinkling. The shaping of the rear upper by shrinking the leather is particularly adaptable for use of the seamless upper. The lower edge of the counter treminates at the level of the top of the sole and is not flared in or out when the lower edge of the upper and the lower portion of the reinforcement are wiped about the insole in the lasting operation. Besides anchoring the reinforcement to the insole, tabs 27 and 28 control or gauge the height of the reinforcement so that it does not vary as a result of the lasting operation.

In FIGURE 6 the high quarter 30 has a reinforcing strip 31 along its upper margin and stitched thereto. A semicircular pocket forming member 32 of flexible material is stitched along its upper edge to the quarter and projecting tabs 33 are formed for stitching to the sole, as are tabs 27, 28 previously described. The counter 34 is inserted in the pocket, and is held in place by the stitching 36 in the margin of element 32 and by the contact of its edge with the insole (not shown) of the shoe. In the formation of this shoe, the one-piece quarter and element 32 will be stretched and shrunk as previously described to give the rear of the shoe the desired contour.

FIGURE 7 shows a two-piece high quarter in which the rear edges of pieces 40 are cut and stitched at 41 to provide a seam 42 which produces the desired fit for the Wearers heel and lower leg rear contour. With this shoe it will be unnecessary to use the hot iron stretching and shrinking step described above. The counter 44 and securing tabs 46, 47 for the pocket forming piece 48 will be as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 shows an oxford type shoe with low quarter 50. A narrow binding 51 overlies the upper margin of the quarter between saddles 52 and is stitched thereto. This quarter will be shaped by cutting and stitching to form an intermediate seam similar to that shown in FIG- URE 7. The pocket forming element 54 extends all the way to the top of the quarter and has attaching tabs 55, 56 as in the other forms illustrated. The counter 57 corresponds to those previously described and is similarly received between the quarter and the pocket element. As with the arrangement shown in FIGURE 7, no shrinking and stretching operation is required.

Hence, it will appear that one or more novel features of the shoe shown in FIGURES 1-5 may be eliminated without reducing the advantages resulting from other features. Other variations in the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

We claim:

1. A high shoe comprising a sole, an insole, a counter and an upper extending above the counter and above the user's ankle, and a layer of material forming a reinforcement for the rear part of the upper, the lower portion of the reinforcement having parts projecting below the counter and secured to the insole and having parts extending upwardly alongside and beyond the top edge of the counter and including a central upright portion extending to the top of the upper and then laterally along the top edges of the upper to the sides of the shoe, the lower part of the reinforcement cooperating with the upper to form a pocket for the counter and the remainder of the reinforcement resisting folding of the upper over the counter at the rear of the shoe.

2. A shoe according to claim 1 in which the lower margin of the counter is disposed vertically with its lower edge above the top of the insole and the reinforcement has tabs projecting from its lower margin and turned inwardly of the shoe under the lower edge of the counter and under the bottom face of the insole secured to the latter.

3. A high shoe comprising a sole, an insole, a counter and an upper extending above the counter and above the users ankle, and a layer of material forming a reinforcement for the rear part of the upper, the lower portion of the reinforcement being secured to the insole and extending upwardly alongside and beyond the top edge of the counter and including a central upright portion extending to the top of the upper and then laterally along the top edges of the upper and to the sides of the shoe, a line of stitching between the upper and the reinforcement extending about the forward and upper edge of the counter whereby the upper and reinforcement form a downwardly open pocket receiving the counter, there being tabs projecting downwardly and inwardly of the shoe from the lower marginal portion of the reinforcement beneath the lower edge of the counter and secured to the insole.

4. In a shoe upper structure, a rear portion comprisinng an outer layer of leather forming the shoe quarter,

an inner layer of flexible material having a semicircular upper margin stitched to the quarter and a substantially horizontal straight lower margin not stitched to the quarter and forming with the latter a pocket, a counter of relatively stiff material inserted in the pocket with its lower edge above the horizontal straight lower margin of said inner layer, said quarter and element having portions projecting below the lower edge of the counter for attachment to the shoe insole.

5. In an oxford type shoe upper structure, a rear quarter, an inner member of flexible material having a semicircular upper margin extending along the upper rear portion of the quarter and stitched thereto and having a substantially straight horizontal lower margin provided with tabs for attachment to the shoe insole, the portion of said inner member below its stitching to the quarter being spaced from the quarter to form a pocket therewith, a counter of relatively stiff material inserted in said pocket with its lower margin substantially flat from end to end and terminating substantially flush with the lowermost part of the pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 912,579 Krech et al. Feb. 16. 1909 1,712,633 Scott May 14, 192.9 1,871,313 Ford Aug. 9, 1932 2,104,048 Marshall Ian. 4, 1938 2,217,274 Hartwell et al. Oct. 8, 1940 2 ,244,868 Dunbar June 10, 1941 2,261,453 Reinhart et al. Nov. 4, 1941 2,425,955 Rouch Aug. 19, 1947 2,646,584 Herlihy July 28, 1953 2,905,955 Herlihy Sept. 29, 1959 

